Shannon here: Regina Rudd Merrick shares how she met her husband, how her characters met in her Historical Romance, Window of Peace (Book 2 in the Stained Glass Legacy series), along with an excerpt & a chance to win a print (U.S. only) or e-book copy. Comment or answer the question in this post to enter the drawing. Deadline: April 29th, 11:59 pm central time. Here’s Regina:
- How did you meet your spouse?
Funny story, that. I met my husband before I remember . . .we met in the church nursery. I was the same age as his little brother, and apparently, I was cuter than said brother, because my mother-in-law likes to tell me how Todd wanted to trade his brother for me!
We did grow up in the same church and community together and went to the same high school, but he graduated my freshman year in high school—he didn’t ask me out until AFTER his graduation! LOL!
There were signs, though … he would let me and my best friend (who happened to be his cousin) cut the lunch line in front of him. Hmmm … do you think he was watching for me? 😉
I guess it worked – we’re celebrating our 40th anniversary this August!
- How did you hero and heroine meet?
The main characters in Window of Peace, MC Dunne and Nancy Jean Baker, were doctoral students at Auburn University School of Veterinary Medicine, where they were both studying to become veterinarians, but at different stages of their programs.
When MC leaves school in 1970 to fight in the Vietnam War, and Nancy finishes her DVM and takes a position in MC’s hometown of Park Haven, Tennessee when the town vet takes ill and retires.
MC returns, injured, war-weary, and struggling to adjust to life after the trauma he’d experienced overseas and is resentful when he has to call the new “lady vet” to help him with a calf birth on his grandfather’s farm.
He recognizes her immediately, but this is their first actual meeting. She proves to him—and to the town, in general—that she’s much tougher than she looks.
Excerpt from Window of Peace by Regina Rudd Merrick:
MC raked his hand over his face. They had to call the lady vet. If only he wasn’t trying to work with a temporary limitation, he wouldn’t have to assist a woman in what should have been his job.
It had all been set—Doc Phillips would retire gracefully about the time MC graduated with his doctorate in vet science. He’d already set aside a down payment on the practice and had plans to work toward securing the rest of the financing.
But Vietnam and the U.S. Army changed the trajectory of his life.
He heard the truck pull up. Grandpa hadn’t returned from the house. Making coffee, he’d said. Why? If this woman was as good as Grandpa indicated, it shouldn’t take more than an hour, and they would all be tucked into their beds for the remainder of the short night.
Who was he kidding? Even the best vets faced a stubborn birth from time to time.
Betsy struggled again—contractions were getting closer and closer together—so MC knelt, rubbing her neck and speaking to her gently.
“Hey, girl. Help is on the way. You’ll be okay.”
A decidedly feminine voice from behind him said, with a chuckle, “If wishes were ponies, then beggars would ride …”
MC turned to see a medium-height, slender girl who couldn’t weigh much more than a hundred pounds. His evaluation must have shown because she frowned.
“I’m stronger than I look.”
What just happened here? His lips twitched, but he refused to give in to a smile.
He stood, hampered a bit by his injured left arm, and held out his right hand. “MC Dunne. You must be the new lady vet.”
“I am.” She stared him in the eye as she pulled on gloves. “And I have a name—Doctor Nancy Jean Baker.”
There was that twitch again. Odd. He hadn’t smiled in a long time, and now his mouth itched to do it twice in one setting.
“Well, Doctor Nancy Jean Baker, nice to meet you. I hope, between the two of us, well three, counting Grandpa, we can safely deliver this calf.”
She nodded and went to work.
Now he remembered her. He hadn’t known her name, but she was ahead of him at Auburn, finishing up about the time he went into the Army.
That would make her, what, one? Two years older than him?
The main thing he remembered about her was her glorious dark brown hair. So different from Rebecca’s blond curls. Nancy Baker had always pinned it up or captured it in a ponytail. What would it look like down around her shoulders?
Where did that come from?
He also remembered her intense expression. Determination.
Back then, she had one goal—to become an excellent vet. And to stay ahead of every male veterinary student in the school.
Question for Readers: There are many plot devices, also called tropes, in romance. Friends to lovers (mine!), enemies to lovers (MC and Nancy), forbidden love, secret identity, second chance, love triangle, to name a few. What’s your favorite and why? What about in your own life? Which trope did your real life romance, or a friend or family member’s romance resemble?
About Regina: Regina Rudd Merrick is a multi-published author, church musician, wife, mother, former librarian, lover of
all things fun, beachy, and chocolate, and grateful follower of Jesus Christ. Married to her husband of nearly 40 years, she is the mother of two grown daughters, and lives in the small town of Marion, KY. Learn more & connect:
Regina’s Website Regina’s Facebook
Regina’s Instagram Regina’s Pinterest
About the book – Window of Peace (Book 2 – Stained Glass Legacy series):
Before being drafted, U.S. Army Lieutenant K9 Handler Michael Connor (MC) Dunne led charmed life. He had a plan. He would finish veterinary school, get married, and take over the local animal clinic. Enter the Vietnam War.
When MC arrives, injured, back in Park Haven, Tennessee, there’s a new vet in town, Nancy Jean Baker, hired when the local veterinarian suffered a heart attack. So much for his plan.
Violent flashbacks and nightmares pull him away from his faith and turn him into a hermit, fearing that he will hurt those he loves. His safe place is the family farm, working on the old cabin and chapel that his great-uncle built in the early 1900s. He assists his grandfather in repairs to the buildings and the stained-glass window that is a family treasure from Ireland.
When one of those closest to him is put in harm’s way, he has to act. If he does, will he, in a fit of rage, slide into the violence of war and become a threat instead of a solution?
Maybe.
But if he doesn’t, he may as well have not come back at all.
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Come back April 21st for Julie Arduini!
Thanks so much for hosting me, Shannon! I always love being on your blog!
I guess my trope would be friends to lovers. When hubby and I met, we were in the same high school class. We had lots of common friends. One of them convinced him to ask me to the prom, and the rest is history. We will be married 47 years at the end of May!
Hi Jenny!! Love your story – much like mine! 🙂 We were fortunate to find great home-town boys, weren’t we?!
Hey Regina, glad to have you here. Mine was bad guy – good girl. Is there a trope for that. My husband was a preacher’s son. When we met in high school, he was in a rebellious stage. Trouble with a captial T. I was the rule follower, church girl. I took one look and couldn’t look away. Thankfully, God tamed him for me. Now he’s a preacher and we’ve been married going on 39 years.
My favorite book trope is friends to lovers, especially where the guy has been secretly in love with the heroine for years.
Yours may come close to enemies-to-lovers, or opposites attract? I love friends-to-lovers, too! It’s so much fun seeing the realization that they like one another in THAT way! Lol!
Mines a little different. I was a college student on Mount Baker in Washington 12 expert skiers, one from Canada, and one from Germany, asked me to guide them around the place. I did, and found out later they had been skiing there 15 straight Saturdays and did not need a tour guide, I married the Canadian
I LOVE IT!!! What a great story to add to a book! 😘
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That could make a very interesting story – two strong personalities! It could have some “enemies to lovers” aspects, too! 🙂
I have a winner! Kimberly P. Bowie won the drawing. I appreciate Regina for being my guest and everyone else for stopping by.